Benjamin j



A @with gitane tttmt @fitte -BENJAMIN J. KELLAM, for TREMONT, NEW YORK.

Letters Patent No. 62,755, dated MdrehlQ, 1857; antedated February 15, 1867.

. IMPROVED OAR.

TO ALL'WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it know-n that I, BENJAMIN J. KELLAM, ofvTrcmont, Westchester county,in the State of New York, captain in the revenue service, have invented a newandiuseiul Balance-Oar for rowing or propelling a boat; Vand I 'do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, :tndfexact description of the same.

The object of my invention is to balance the oar in the row-lock, and by that resultto save the labor and 4fatigue of lifting and carrying forward the blade of the oar in the operation of rowingr boats.

I The following is a description of the method and manner of producing the balance, to wit,by loading 'or banding, or both, the oar between the row-lock and-the handle end with metal or other substances than Wood. i For example, an oar of twelve feet necessarily projects more than two-thirds of its length outward from the' side ot' the bont; and vconsequently less thax'rone-third of its length is inboznd, and the weight to be-raised in the action of rowing is considerablel- Now, to obviatethis lifting, and facilitate the carrying the blade of the oar -forward for the next stroke, I weight the inboard o1" handle part of the'oar, represented bythe letter Ain the drawing, with lead or 'other metal, either lby a band, or by inserting the seme in the body of the oar which is inboard, so that when placed in proper position for rowing, the oar resting in the row-loek, represented by letter B, will be perfectly balanced, and thelifting of the oar vwill be obviated and the propelling power increased. i

What-I claim as my invention, is- The construction of a balancing oar in the manner shown and described.

BENJAMIN J. KELLAM.

Witnesses:

N. J. WYETH, F. P. Lovsenovln.` 

